Fig. 3. Patterned alignment of HDF cells on LCE predesigned with a pair of −1 and radial +1 (splay type) defects.

(A) PolScope image of ${\widehat{\mathbf{n}}}_{\text{LCE}}$ pattern of LCE in contact with the cell growth medium. (B) Fluorescently labeled HDF cells. (C) The surface density of cell nuclei σ as the function of distance from defect cores. (D) Large number density fluctuations ΔN with mean number of nuclei 〈N〉 showing a larger slope near −1 cores as compared to +1. (E) PCM textures of HDF cells on LCE layer at 240 hours after cell seeding. Red and blue dots denote location of −1 and +1 defects in patterned LCE obtained from crossed polarized textures. (F) Color-coded orientational field and (G) of the corresponding scheme of patterned HDF tissue director ${\widehat{\mathbf{n}}}_{\text{HDF}}$ obtained from local anisotropy of PCM texture in (E). Red bars in (G) denote local orientation of cells’ long axes. (H) Time dependence of separation between two +1/2 defects near the +1 radial core. Scale bars, 300 μm.